So at that moment, when everyone saw the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring appear behind Luo Chen, their first reaction was not shock, but anger.
Of course, they were not angry because Luo Chen had deceived them, but because this newcomer actually wanted to use such an old, worn-out trick to deceive Miss Shui'er.
What if Miss Shui'er knew nothing about that fiasco and surrendered upon seeing that Demon Scorpion's Second Soul Ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? They would never allow Shui'er to be deceived.
On the platform, Shui Bing'er's expression turned grave as she stared at the Thousand-Year Soul Ring behind Luo Chen.
Naturally, she knew about the mimicry Soul Ring fiasco ten years ago, but deep down, she did not believe Luo Chen would hunt a Color-Changing Lizard Dragon just to frighten others.
Although she had only spent a few short hours with Luo Chen, she was certain in her heart that he was someone who pursued strength above all else. Otherwise, he could not possibly have broken out of the ice while frozen.
At that thought, Shui Bing'er raised her pale blue eyes and stared at Luo Chen. Her voice was cold and proud. "Demon Scorpion, even if your Second Soul Ring really is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, I'll still beat you into the ground!"
When Luo Chen heard that familiar voice, his whole body stiffened. That voice!
That tone!
Isn't that Shui Bing'er, whom I met in the Star Dou Great Forest three months ago?
At that thought, Luo Chen inwardly ranted, Seriously? It's already been three months since I parted ways with Shui Bing'er. How have I run into her again?
"Forget it. Whatever. I have to win and get my precious money anyway," Luo Chen muttered to himself. "We're both wearing masks anyway. Neither of us knows who the other is."
At that thought, the powerful presence Luo Chen had been suppressing instantly spread across the entire platform. He stared at Shui Bing'er without the slightest fear and said coldly, "Then let's see which of us is stronger."
As his words fell, the Ice Phoenix's chill and the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor's sinister cold collided thunderously on the platform.
Cheers erupted from the audience once more.
"They're finally going to fight!"
"Go, Miss Shui'er! Beat that fraud into the ground!"
Seeing this, Mimi, standing on the raised stand at the edge of the platform, flushed bright red with excitement. Holding the Amplifying Soul Tool, her face red with excitement, she announced:
"Ladies and gentlemen! The match has begun!"
"Who will emerge victorious in this battle? Let's wait and see!"
On the platform, battle was about to erupt.
Shui Bing'er struck first. A glint flashed through her pale blue eyes as she thrust both hands forward.
"First Soul Skill-Ice Seal!"
In an instant, a terrifying chill erupted from within her, gathering at her fingertips and transforming into an ice spike that shot toward Luo Chen.
Wherever the ice spike passed, even the air seemed to freeze, and a layer of frost instantly formed on the ground.
Shui Bing'er's intention was obvious. She simply wanted to use
Ice Seal's freezing property to seize the initiative and freeze Luo Chen. As long as Luo Chen was frozen, her Ice Spirit would surely invade his body. Then she could wear him down to death on the platform.
But would Luo Chen give her that opportunity? Obviously not.
The instant Shui Bing'er used her First Soul Skill, Luo Chen also activated his First Soul Skill-Scorpion Emperor Transformation.
In an instant, a sinister, cold presence erupted from within him. At the same time, dark green carapace patterns rapidly appeared across his skin, his lower body transformed into a scorpion's body, and his arms transformed into
enormous scorpion pincers, while nine scorpion tails shot skyward from his sacrum.
After all, in his Scorpion Emperor Transformation form, Luo Chen's speed, strength, attack, and defense all increased by eighty percent. Moreover, he had cultivated the Scorpion Emperor Body Tempering Technique to the introductory stage, and his physical constitution was already outrageously powerful. Thus, his speed had long since reached a point where even the naked eye struggled to track him.
Not only did Shui Bing'er's instantly cast Ice Seal fail to hit Luo Chen,
it instead allowed Luo Chen to seize the opening she left when raising her hands.
With a whoosh, Luo Chen's figure became a streak of black lightning, appearing before Shui Bing'er in an instant.
At the same time, the enormous pincer that his right arm had become snapped viciously toward Shui Bing'er's waist and abdomen, as swift as thunder striking before one could cover one's ears.
"Take my pincer!"
Seeing this, Shui Bing'er naturally would not sit still and await death. The instant Luo Chen extended his scorpion pincer toward her, she reacted.
"Second Soul Skill-Ice Ring Armor!"
A blue light flashed, and a layer of hard ice crystals instantly appeared around Shui Bing'er, enveloping her entire body.
Luo Chen's scorpion pincer clamped down hard on the ice crystal armor with an enormous crash.
The tremendous force caused countless cracks to appear in the ice crystal armor enveloping Shui Bing'er, but ultimately, it did not shatter.
What tremendous strength! Shui Bing'er silently swallowed. But it's still uncertain whose hands the deer will fall into.
Shui Bing'er's eyes suddenly began to glow faintly, and the ice crystal fragments that had burst from her armor and landed on Luo Chen also took effect.
Luo Chen could clearly feel that his body seemed to be growing stiff. Even the circulation of his Soul Power had slowed.
"Hahaha." Shui Bing'er instantly retreated several dozen steps. Only after putting distance between herself and Luo Chen did she reveal a confident smile and say lightly:
"Demon Scorpion, you've already been afflicted by my Ice Spirit. The longer this drags on, the slower your Soul Power circulation and your own speed will become."
"Are you sure you still want to fight?"
Shui Bing'er's tone carried a measure of composure. After all,
Ice Spirit was one of the traits of her Martial Soul, the Ice Phoenix.
Once the Ice Phoenix's Ice Spirit invaded someone's body, they would inevitably suffer stiffness and slowed Soul Power circulation. The longer it lasted, the more severe the symptoms became.
Hearing this, Luo Chen's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Shui'er, there's something you may not know. A scorpion's most formidable weapon is its tail."
As soon as he finished speaking, nine successive whooshes instantly sounded behind Luo Chen.
Nine scorpion tails surged out at once, like venomous snakes,
stabbing toward Shui Bing'er.
Seeing this, Shui Bing'er hurriedly used her First Soul Skill-Ice Seal-to form an ice wall, attempting to weaken the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Swords' attack with it.
Boom! The Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Swords struck the ice wall and instantly stopped.
Just as Shui Bing'er thought the ice wall had halted the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Swords' assault, could reality truly turn out as she imagined?
After all, each Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Sword existed independently.
The Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Swords suddenly began to rotate. One pierced through the ice, while the remaining eight went straight over the ice wall and stabbed directly toward Shui Bing'er's vital points.
Not good! Shui Bing'er's heart jolted, and her expression changed abruptly,
She fired multiple Ice Seal rays to slow the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Swords' advance while swiftly leaping and dodging across the platform like a nimble sprite.